Leof

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An archaic term meaning dear or beloved used chiefly in Old English texts to denote affection or high regard
2. A historic adjective from early English literature describing someone or something regarded with love or cherished feelings
3. An old-fashioned word expressing fondness or endearment commonly found in medieval English writings for treasured persons or things

Etymology: "Leof" is an Old English adjective meaning "dear" or "beloved," and it survives today mainly in the phrase "lief" and in the older English word "lief," meaning "willingly" or "gladly." The Old English form descends from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "dear," which also gave German "lieb" and Dutch "lief," so the word is a close cousin of modern continental words for "dear" and "love." Its most famous afterlife is the verb "believe," which the Old English "gelēfan" built from the same root as "leof" with a prefix meaning roughly "to hold dear." Something like "to hold as dear" or "to hold as true" is what early speakers were reaching for, which explains how a word about affection came to mean trust and assent.

Synonyms: dear, beloved, pleasant, friendly

Antonyms: unpleasant, hateful, unfriendly